Final Fantasy VII2: AVALANCHE of Gullwings!
by MegaKiraraLover
Summary: Gaia has realized that She is in grave danger from SIN, a WEAPON of the future gone bad that seems to think it wise to attack before Summoners are alive to stop it. The Planet's solution is simple: pull a Summoner into the past to stop it. HAITUS
1. Disk One, Prolog

Final Fantasy VII-2:

AVALANCHE of Gullwings!

Summary: -ignore the crappy title, please- Shortly after Dirge of Cerberus, The Planet has realized that it is in grave danger from a familiar enemy of the future--SIN, a WEAPON gone bad that seems to think it wise to attack Gaia before Summoners are there to stop it. The Planet's solution is simple: _get_ a Summoner _into_ the past to stop it. And that is how Yuna, Rikku, Paine, and a few select guests ended up in the Spira of the past. Post-DoC, Post-"Awesome Sphere!" hunt/mission

Pairings: Canon (including one-sided), I.E. CloudTifa, CloudAerith, ZackAerith, VincentLucrecia, HojoLucrecia, CidSherra, onesided YuffieVincent, onesided ElenaTseng, onesided TsengAerith, onesided RudeTifa AS WELL AS TidusYuna, WakkaLulu, BarthelloDona, onesided BrotherYuna, onesided SeymourYuna, AND MORE.

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy X/X-2 or Final Fantasy VII. Trust me, if I owned VII, Gast would be evil instead of Hojo and Vincent would have been a paranormal detective like he was originally designed to be. And X-2 would've had more Dresspheres, and Baralai, Gippal, and Nooj would be playable characters at some point, too. Go away now while I mourn this horrible loss.

----

6-4-09

_**Disk One,  
**__**Prolog**_

"This is not possible," a voice that is neither male nore female says with obvious anger as the Lifestream pulses like a heartbeat, turbulent, yet somehow still stable. "My darling Weapon...defected! How is it that this happened?!"

"_Mater Gaea_, please calm down," a different voice, clearly male and quite upset, requests. The Lifestream flickers and a figure emerges from Its thickest part, cloaked in black with all of its features hidden from view. "Your Children above are feeling your anger in the form of disasters some are not equipted to handle."

After but a breath, the Lifestream seems to slow, becoming slightly more soothing as It moves to gently brush against the figure. "Yes." The unisex voice sounds calmer, mirroring the waves of the Lifestream. "Yes, of course you are right, _Frater Ifrit_. I am afraid I allowed the memories of Anger to take over for a breif moment."

"It is quite all right, as well as understandable, _Mater_." The voice sounds rather relieved. "Do not fret."

"_Frater_, many of my Children threaten to fall," the unisex voice says--and despite its echoing power, suddenly it sounds very childish and weak. "Is there nothing that can be done about our newest threat?"

"Nothing I can say for certain, _Mater_. However..."

The male voice suddenly stops, a thoughtful breath following.

"Yes?" the unisex voice asks, both intrigued and mildly excited. The Lifestream drifted even closer to the cloaked figure, carressing its body carefully with Its waves. "Do continue, my _Frater_ of the Flames..."

"The future might hold an escape route," the male voice says, suddenly calm, but weary at the same time. The unisex voice hisses as if burnt and the Lifestream draws back somewhat from the form It had just been carressing, but the black-cloaked figure is unaffected. "_Soror Shiva_ has recently shown Your Council an image of the future, of this threat being defeated by a distant descendent of Your closest Children, the Cetra--quite possibly the true Last Cetra. If You, _Mater_, would gather with Your Council and assist in bringing that Cetra to the past...we could have a way out. It may not be guarenteed, but it is definately a better option than just sitting back and hoping _Soror Shiva_'s children and their companions will rouse in time to defeat a Weapon more powerful than all of the other ones combined."

Silence follows this, not so much as a breath breaking it. Finally, a sigh--from the unisex voice.

"It shall be done," decides the great voice wearily. The Lifestream gradually drifts closer to the cloaked figure. "Be gone now, _Frater Ifrit_. You and your siblings must rest if you are to be of any use during the upcoming war. After all..."

Even as the cloaked figure fades into the Lifestream, the unisex voice chuckles dryly.

"Something tells me we have more than three disks, a movie, an anime, and about three other video games to face for this story to come to fruition."

And with that, the figure is gone, leaving only the gently pulsing Lifestream in its wake.


	2. Disk One, Chapter One

Final Fantasy VII-2:  
AVALANCHE of Gullwings!

_**Disk One,  
**__**Chapter One**_

Sighing, Yuna walked slowly along the corridor that led from the elevator to the bridge of the _Celcius_, aware that today was going to be the day they decided what to do with the not-so-"awesome" sphere. They were going to give it up, to be sure; Brother had made that clear the day before. But...to whom?

She was born as a member of Yevon, so there was a bit of loyalty there, if thoroughly tainted by her not-so-great relations to the religion. However, the Youth League seemed to connect more to the people of Spira, even if they were a bit rash and likely to start fights. Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Realizing that Brother was the leader and thus likely to decide, Yuna shoved those thoughts aside and smiled somewhat as the door opened, running forward and vaulting over the railing to land in front of Brother, Shinra, and Buddy. Why was she so worried about this? It wasn't like the decision was hers to make.

"What's up?" the ex-Summoner asked innocently upon seeing the serious expressions on Brother and Buddy's faces. Shinra might have looked serious, too, but it was hard to tell with the mask in the way.

With a sigh, Buddy turned towards her, dropping his formerly-crossed arms to his sides with a frown. "Returning the sphere is all well and good," he said, and Yuna got the creeping feeling that her fears were about to be spit back at her, "but who do we return it to?"

"With the Youth League and New Yevon, it's a lose-lose situation," Shinra elaborated somberly, also turning towards Yuna.

Brother gave Yuna a long look, clearly falling into his role as the leader. "What do you think, Yuna?" he asked softly.

...or not.

With an innocent smile in place, Yuna put her hands together and smiled again, leaning forward somewhat. "I'll follow _your_ orders...Leader!" she said, voice coated in sweetness.

Flustered and blushing somewhat, Brother folded his arms over his chest and began to mumble things under his breath, gaze lowered to the floor. Then he seemed to have an epiphany and looked up with a triumphant look in his eyes. "Aha!" he exclaimed, pointing towards Yuna. "As leader, I order Yuna to decide!"

Yuna felt herself wilt at his decision. _'What, are we in fourth grade now?'_ she wondered silently to herself as she began to object, pouting somewhat. _'Well, two can play at that game...'_ "Hey, that's cheeting!"

After realizing no one was going to object to Brother's decision, Yuna sighed in defeat and folded her arms over her chest, gnawing her lip as she thought about the pros and cons of each group all over again. After about five minutes, Brother finally seemed concered.

"Where to?" he asked slowly, giving Yuna a long look. Hearing the conversation beginning again, Rikku stopped mid-sentence and turned away from a debate with Paine, walking over and sticking a hand on her hip.

"New Yevon..." she mused, frowning. "Well, it's got 'Yevon' in its name. Enough said."

"But the Youth League is reckless," Paine sighed, walking over as well and giving Rikku a pointed look. "They're the ones picking the fights."

Although sorely tempted to tune her friends out (after all, they were just saying aloud what she had been thinking earlier), Yuna patiently waited for everyone to say their peace.

"Well?" asked Brother, not as patient as Yuna. "WELL?!"

"Ummm..." Yuna mumbled, putting a fist to her chin and trying to think on it again. After a few moments, she decided to play the damsel-in-distress card--guarenteed to work against Brother, if nothing else. So, Yuna put on her best puppy-dog eyes and folded her hands together as if to beg, giving Brother a long look and waiting for him to squirm before making her pitch.

"Brother, I need more time," she said in her sweetest voice. "Can you give me a few hours to think on it, please? If I could just go somewhere other than the ship..."

Almost instantly, worry alit to Brother's eyes and he only took a few seconds before giving a clearly dramatic sigh. "All right, Yuna," he said in a soft voice. Yuna smiled in relief, but Brother quickly went on. "We can drop you off at Djose Temple to, er, think it over--since the Machine Faction isn't with the Youth Leage or New Yevon, it is probably the safest place right now for you."

Yuna's smile widened and she gave Brother a quick hug before pulling back and nodding brightly. "Thank you, Brother!"

Blushing deeply, Brother made a few noises before turning away from Yuna and mumbling, "E zicd ruba drec ech'd kuehk du nieh cusadrehk...rubavimmo **Gippal** femm pa ypma du gaab ran cyva..." He glanced up and caught Buddy's eye, frowning somewhat at the amused gleam. "**Buddy**! Fa'na kuehk du **Djose**!"

"Oac, cen, _maytan_," Buddy chuckled before turning towards the control pannel and auto-piloting the _Celcius_ to the desired place. Brother scowled at him before starting towards his own seat.

"Tysh nekrd, E's dra maytan..." (1)

Smiling somewhat at his friend and leaning back in his seat, Buddy was clearly amused. "Whatever you say."

"Crid ib!" snarled Brother, giving his friend a glare. Buddy merely continued to chuckle.

"Uh...what?" asked Yuna, confused as she folded her arms behind her back and tilted her head at the scene. Due to their quick speaking, she had only really caught the end, which she heard often enough to know translated to 'Shut up!', and "maytan"--leader.

"Who cares?" Paine asked dryly, rolling her eyes at the scene as Rikku tried to stiffle her giggles. "Let's just get down to Djose."

"Huh?" Blinking, Yuna gave Paine an odd look, slightly confused by her sudden words. "What?"

After a moment of looking at Yuna, Paine arched an eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest. "You didn't think we were going to let you go down there alone, did you?"

"Yeah!" Rikku added as she regained herself. She jumped and pumped a fist into the air with a grin. "If anyone wants to hurt our Yunie, the Gullwings will be there to help stop them!"

"Awww, thanks, you guys!" Yuna said with a smile, bringing her arms around to clasp her hands together in front of her body.

"All right, enough chit-chat!" exclaimed Brother, glancing over his shoulder with a frown. "The sooner you get down there, the sooner we can get rid of that sphere!"

Giggling somewhat, Yuna nodded before gesturing towards Rikku and Paine, the three moving towards the transport sphere in the back of the ship and each holding out a hand to it. After taking one final look at her two companions, Yuna closed her eyes as the familiar rush of energy from the machina's parts _whoosh!_ed around her...

...and she could feel the change as something went wrong.

_"Your help is needed, young Cetra--High Summoner,"_ an ethereal and highly familiar voice rang through Yuna's mind as she gasped, hearing Rikku and Paine doing the same--Rikku dramatically and Paine so softly it was hard to tell she had in the first place. _"You and your companions must help protect the Planet against a threat that you will surely recognize."_

Despite knowing how dangerous it was, Yuna found herself prying open her eyes mid-transport, her shock overriding the knowledge that she could seer her retnas into nothing if she succeeded. However, to her immense surprise, she was not met with harsh white light threatening to devour her pupils, but instead was met with a soft bluish-green, swirling energy. She felt like she was falling, standing on a machina elevator like the one that had at one point worked at the Gagazet Ruins (although she hoped this one wouldn't fall out from under her) with Rikku and Paine standing next to her.

"What threat?" Yuna decided to ask, dropping her hand and glancing around wearily. She was vaguely aware of Rikku and Paine noticing their position in the same way she had, but was too preoccupied by the area around them to notice. "Who _are_ you? Why do you sound so familiar!?"

_"SIN,"_ the voice merely said. Yuna could feel her face turning white as she began to shake, Rikku gasping again and Paine looking truly troubled. _"You must save the Planet from SIN...if you want your time to exist at all."_

"My...time?"

_"Yes. Please, use _Mater Gaea_'s power to save both past and future, with the help of your allies. SIN must be stopped using your abilities, both of today and two years before. Find the Aeons. Use their powers as well as your own. Defeat the most dangerous Weapon to ever have existed. And, through all of that..."_ The voice became almost tender, as opposed to the detached tone of before. _"...perhaps _Mater Gaea_, or _Mater Spira_ as you know Her...will be able to restore what you have lost."_

And before Yuna could question further what the voice meant, she, Rikku, and Paine all felt the imaginary elevator that had been holding them up fall away. YRP screamed in surprise and all clutched at each other, managing to make a chain by locking their arms together, their voices growing hoarse, Rikku managing to repeatedly curse in Al Bhed as Paine cursed in Spiran and Yuna shouted prayers to her Aeons out of reflex, they were falling farther, faster, the strain was too great, they were threatening to let go of each other, _they were going to loose each other_--

Suddenly, the tunnel of green-blue energy fell away and Yuna forwent her screaming in favor of letting out an "oof!" of surprise when she landed on dusty, red, sand-covered ground, letting go of Rikku's arm in the process as she winced in pain. The impact wasn't as bad as she had expected it to be, giving the speed they had been falling at, but it still hurt her butt when she landed.

"Owie..." groaned Rikku from next to Yuna, having fallen onto her back and thus resorting to giving the sky a swirlly-eyed look as she recovered.

"What was _that_?" Paine hissed. She had closed her eyes in an obvious attempt to not think about her potentional injuries.

"I...have no idea," Yuna slowly admitted, blinking away the stars in her eyes. It was then that she noticed the scenery around her, which was quite...unfamiliar...

"Hey, where are we?!" Rikku asked, lunging into a sitting position and looking around with wide eyes.

Yuna frowned somewhat as she, too, sat up before slowly climbing to her feet. "If it wasn't so red and bright, I'd say Mushroom Rock Road."

"I was thinking the Bikanel Desert," Paine offered with somewhat of a frown, already standing. She had her arms over her chest and was glancing around with undisguised suspicion at the landscape around them. "But it's too......"

"Mountain-y?" Rikku supplied, jumping to her feet as well and glancing around curiously. At Paine's slightly exasperated look, the blonde pouted and stuck her hands on her hips while sticking out her tongue childishly. "Hey, I'm trying!"

"Either way, I don't recognize anything," admitted Yuna. She was frowning as she glanced around while brushing off the front of her half-skirt to hide her nervousness at the unfamiliar situation. It was really unnerving--during her travels, Yuna had been virtually everywhere within Spira, and yet she didn't recognize this place. Where _were_ they?

Rikku, sensing Yuna's discomfort, forced a smile into place as she dropped her playful stance. "Ummm, maybe we should start walking. We might run into someone who knows where we are!"

"Or drop due to dehydration and exhaustion," Paine deadpanned, giving the Al Bhed an unamused look. "Remember our trip to Bikanel?"

"Eheheh...heh," Rikku nervously giggled, rubbing the back of her head as her smile became awkward.

"Well, it's better than just sitting here waiting for someone to show up," Yuna decided with a nod, causing Rikku and Paine to glance over curiously. "We might as well start walking."

Realizing arguing was going to be useless by the determined gleam in Yuna's eye, Paine sighed somewhat before asking, "Which way?"

"I vote that way!" Rikku instantly offered, pointing in the direction...of a mountain-like area of boulders at least twice the size of the _Celsius_.

"Um...maybe we should go a way where we _don't_ have to climb rock walls," Yuna said, fighting back giggles as Paine gave Rikku an exasperated look. She glanced around and noticed that there seemed to be a large, natural path that lead in two ways between boulders of various sizes; one spread out in front of them, in a straight line and the other behind them curved somewhat. "Let's just walk forward."

"Right," Paine muttered, following Yuna. It took a few seconds for Rikku to follow, although the blonde eventually did--which was good, because Paine was _not_ dragging her scrawny Al Bhed ass through the desert because Yuna wouldn't leave her cousin behind.

But...

A strange sense of deja-vu settled over the girls at about the two hour mark, when their bodies were aching horribly and their mouths felt dry and full of sand and grit and overall "nastiness", as Rikku put it. They had no water, and there were no signs of civilization just yet. Instead of making the mistake at Bikanel of wearing leather and horribly stuffy clothes, Yuna and Paine had reverted to their Theif dresspheres in desperation, hoping to feel less of the heat. But despite their change in clothing, after three hours, they had practically collapsed from exhaustion.

"Yunie, don't we have any water?" whimpered Rikku, leaning against a boulder next to her cousin and clearly struggling to stay awake. Yuna gave a low sigh and shook her head, sweat dripping down her face.

"We didn't bring any...Djose has a spring inside the temple," the High Summoner mumbled weakly in response.

"Stop complaining and save your strength," Paine said from Yuna's other side, eyes closed as she awkwardly put her arms behind her and tugged at the back of her shirt. She never had seemed very comfortable with this Dressphere's shirt, if nothing else. "There's no telling when we'll be found."

Despite her long, dramatic sigh, Rikku obidiently shut up for a good twenty minutes, during which time Paine somehow managed to fall asleep and Yuna was well on her way to join her.

"Dra rayd...E's kuehk du tea..." the Al Bhed girl mumbled, sounding worn down (2). Shushing her slightly, Yuna moved over so she was hugging the younger girl's shoulders even while her head pounded something horrid. It wasn't exactly staving off the heat--far from it, it actually managed to produce more of it for both of them--but it was the only way Yuna knew to comfort her cousin.

"You're not going to die, Rikku," Yuna softly said, gently running her hands through Rikku's hair. "Don't worry. Someone will come."

Rikku whimpered at that, but relaxed somewhat in Yuna's grip; out of the three, the only one awake to see Yuna's prediction come true one hour later was Yuna herself.

At first, Yuna had thought she was halucinating the sounds of someone bumbling along the path and the jingle of accessories bumping against each other. It wasn't until her eyes were drooping from what she could have sworn was heat exhaustion that she saw people in tannish-gray and red uniforms coming down the path. Weakly, she tried to scrounge up enough spit in her mouth to call to them, but she couldn't. Her energy was dropping, and there was no way she could stay awake much longer.

The last thing Yuna saw before she was unconscious was a mass of tan, red, and a head topped in brown. Then she slipped into darkness and knew no more.

----

AL BHED NOTES (things in bold were not in Al Bhed to begin with):

(1)

Brother: I just hope this isn't going to ruin something...hopefully **Gippal** will be able to keep her safe... **Buddy**! We're going to **Djose**!

Buddy: Yes, sir, _leader_.

Brother: Damn right, I'm the leader...

--

(2)

Rikku: The heat...I'm going to die...


	3. Disk One, Chapter Two

Final Fantasy VII-2:  
AVALANCHE of Gullwings!

_**Disk One,  
**__**Chapter Two**_

Someone whimpered nearby.

_Yunie...I'm scared. I'm afraid I'm going to lose you again!_

Not aware of who I even am, I stumble towards the voice, confused.

"You're not going to lose me," I say soothingly, looking around the darkness in confusion. Yunie? Is that my name? Odd...it doesn't sound quite right. "I promise!"

_B-but...you're still going on adventures! I never thought you'd actually want to _come_ when I showed you that sphere! It's horrible...I dragged you into this...I'm sorry._

Somehow, though, that doesn't sound exactly right, I decide. "No, you didn't drag me into this...I did it on my own. So stop moping around! It just isn't you!"

Isn't it? Oh, I don't even know.

_Th-thanks...Yunie...b-b-but it's still my fault. But thanks for trying to make me feel better._

"No, it's not your fault!" I try again, feeling slightly frantic at the thought of whoever this is blaming him/herself for whatever he/she did. "Please, stop feeling so bad! It's really, truly not!"

But I'm not sure if I'm getting through...

...and now I'm not even "awake" anymore...

----

When Yuna finally regained consciousness, she was dimly aware of the fact that she was lying on top of a rather fluffy bed, her whole body aching, and she was still dressed in her Theif outfit.

And people were talking next to her bed.

"Just make sure they drink a lot of fluids when they wake up and rest some more before going out in the sun," a female voice mumbled, soft and slightly cynical. "They're going to be sensitive to heat for a while, as well, so make sure they don't stray too far for a few days."

"Thank you, Kaku," a slightly gutteral male voice said quietly, sounding weary and wise. "I'll keep watch until they wake up."

"Call me back if you think you need to."

"I will. Thank you again."

A door shut softly, and almost as soon as it did, Yuna slowly opened her eyes, blinking sleepily at the deep red ceiling not unlike the sand she had been laying on not too long ago.

...

...wait...

...

...

"Rikku! Paine!" cried Yuna worriedly, sitting up straight in bed. She instantly regretted the action when a jolt of pain shot through her and she groaned lightly, closing her eyes as if that would help.

"Ah, you're awake," the male voice of before said calmly next to her. There was the sound of feet shuffling on the ground, although Yuna was too busy examining the insides of her eyelids to look at the apparent visitor. "Please, Miss, lay back down. You need more rest."

"No...I'm fine." Slowly, Yuna opened her mismatched eyes again and blinked at the area before her, the pain slowly ebbing away. She smiled somewhat and began to look around for the owner of the voice that had been speaking to her. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, where--"

Yuna abruptly stopped talking when she saw the only living creature in the room besides herself was a large red dog-like creature. He had brilliant red fur that reminded her of the color of Ifrit's mane with scars littering his body. He only had one eye opened, as the other was scarred over, and it was a brilliant shade of gold, although his spiky black mane that vaguely reminded her of a mohawk fell into it somewhat. He had a long, ropey tail that seemed much more feline than his otherwise canine appearence, and it ended in a tuft of fire that flickered in the dim room, somehow not managing to spread or burn anything.

"Oh," was all Yuna had to say, blinking in mild confusion at the creature. The creature merely stared up at her with something resembling amusement, causing Yuna to smile somewhat. "Hello!"

"Hello," the creature _said_ in that voice she had heard earlier, chuckling when Yuna yelped in surprise. However, it didn't take long for her to regain herself with a giggle of her own; to be perfectly honest, with the many beads, battle scars, and what appeared to be tattoos, the red creature reminded her vaguely of the Ronso--but only vaguely.

Yuna decided to try again and smiled at the creature. "Um. Hi."

Slowly, the creature raised an eyebrow--or at least an eyebrow ridge. "Hello."

"Um," Yuna glanced around, smile turning into a concerned frown as she turned back to the creature, "please...are my friends all right? The ones I was with?"

"Yes, they're alive and well," said the creature, nodding his great head somewhat. "They, like you, suffered from a nasty bout of 'heat stroke'. You're quite lucky our midday patrol found you three before it became deadly." Suddenly, the creature took on a seroius air, giving her a long look with his single eye. "What were you three doing out in the middle of the Cosmo Desert without water, anyhow?"

"Cos...mo...Desert?" Searching her memory banks, Yuna sighed when she realized she didn't recognize the name at all. "To tell the truth...I don't know. The last thing I remember before we ended up...there...was being on our airship."

"Your _airship_?" The creature gave her a long look of something that was a cross between pity and disbelief before frowning somewhat. "Are you part of the WRO?"

"WRO?" Yuna echoed, again confused. "...um...no, I'm not...I'm afraid...I don't know what that is..."

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, during which the creature gave Yuna a long, apraising look, he sat down on the floor and gave her a slight, weary smile. "Perhaps we should start over," he offered, nodding somewhat. "I am Nanaki, or Red, as a few of my friends know me."

Smiling, Yuna clasped her hands together, folding her legs lotus-style under her. "I'm Yuna. It's nice to meet you."

"You as well." Nanaki's smile became a thoughtful look and his ear flicked as if he were listening to something. "So you say you own an airship?"

"Well, I don't, but my friends do," she explained with a nod, realizing this would be the time that, if Paine were here, she'd be told to shut up and stop being so trusting. But, honestly, the High Summoner couldn't help it! It was just her nature! "We use it to travel all over the planet; it's really fun."

"I see. And you don't know what the WRO is?"

"No..." Yuna paused and tilted her head curiously at Nanaki. "Is it like New Yevon, or the Youth League?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what those are," Nanaki said slowly, repeating Yuna's words from earlier. He gave her a long look. "It seems we have hit a crossroads. If you don't know what the WRO is, then something is wrong."

"The same with New Yevon and the Youth League," Yuna responded with a frown of her own. "...tell me, have you ever heard of Bevelle?" Nanaki gave her a blank look and, as panic began to over take her, Yuna went on. "Luca? Kilika? Djose? Guadosalam? Gagazet? Bikanel? The Farplane?!"

When Nanaki merely shook his head, Yuna felt the blood drain from her face. "O-oh..." she muttered, reaching up to gently touch her forehead.

"Tell me, where are you from?" Nanaki suddenly asked, sounding a lot calmer than Yuna felt. Slowly, Yuna shook her head, trying to clear it.

"I was born in Bevelle, the capitol of Yevon...but I grew up on Besaid Island with my friends...there, I became a summoner...and..." Slowly, Yuna died off when it was obvious Nanaki had processed little if any of that. She felt the full force of her panic and moaned, putting her head in her hands. "Oh, no..."

"Perhaps." Nanaki waited until Yuna had looked at him with confused and sad eyes before going on in a soft, soothing voice. "Perhaps you should tell me as much as you can about where you are from. From the beginning."

After a heartbeat, Yuna nodded and began to spin her tale. "Well over one thousand years ago, my home, Spira, was full of machina--otherwise known as machines. But others prefered the old ways and thought machina would ruin their lives. There was a major war brewing between two of the main cities; the machina city of Bevelle and the city of summoners and magic known as Zanarkand..."

----

Within twenty-five long, yet still somehow short minutes, Yuna had finished her story and was watching Nanaki nervously for a reaction. The dog-lion remained as silent and brooding as he had from the start of the explination all the way to the end, tail flicking behind him thoughtfully.

"...I'm afraid none of that sounds familiar, Lady Yuna," Nanaki said slowly, tasting the sound of the title he had picked up on during the explaination. He quickly decided he didn't really like it--Yuna was much simpler and easier, really.

"Please, just call me Yuna," the High Summoner muttered, looking vaguely embaressed. Nanaki nodded absently, still musing over the many details she had just finished shoving into his mind.

"Perhaps...you said you heard a voice when you arrived?" Yuna tilted her head forward in confirmation after a beat and Nanaki gave her a long look. "I know you said you recognized it...but...what did it sound like?"

This caused Yuna to pause and think carefully, frowning somewhat. That was actually a pretty good question. She hadn't really thought about it until then, having woken up in a strange world she didn't recognize, but now that she did... "It was a man's voice, I think...strong, but kind...ummm...it wasn't gruff or anything, but it was deep...and...uh..." Yuna died off and sighed in defeat, giving Nanaki a hopeless look. "I'm sorry...I can't think of anything else to describe it!"

"It's perfectly fine, Yuna," Nanaki chuckled, giving her a soft smile. He paused and glanced over his shoulder as he slowly climbed to his feet, stretching like a house cat with his previously-hidden and dangerously sharp claws coming into view. After he was done, Nanaki shook out his fur and looked curiously at Yuna. "I'm going to go check up on your friends. Would you care to join me?"

"Oh, yes, please!" the brunette instantly exclaimed, smiling as she pulled her legs out from under her and slowly got up. She felt much more well-rested than before, she decided as she brushed off the front of her outfit. Nanaki smiled at her and started out the door, but just as Yuna started to follow, she suddenly realized how drafty it was in this cool room while wearing only her Theif dressphere.

"Whoops! Better change back to my Gunner dressphere," Yuna decided in a whisper, reaching backwards and pulling her Heart of Flame garment grid. With a whisper, energy whirled around her form in a circular pattern and Yuna closed here eyes as she felt her outfit shift and change into the more familiar folds of her half-skirt, short-shorts, revealing shirt, and knee-high leather boots. Yuna smiled at herself as she opened her eyes, noticing her handguns glistening in the dim light of the room at her sides. "There. Much better!"

"Yuna, are you coming?" Nanaki asked from the hallway, sounding worried. Yuna blinked before walking out of the room, giving Nanaki a nervous grin as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Sorry, Nanaki--I just needed to change," she admitted, noticing the surprised glance he gave her.

"...? ...most humans take much longer than half a minute to change..." After a few more seconds, Nanaki shook his fur out before turning to face forward again, starting down a hallway that was just wide enough for the two to walk side-by-side. "Your friends happened to end up in different rooms. They were doing fine last I checked...the one with blonde hair was a bit restless, however."

_'Rikku...!'_ Yuna thought with wide eyes, trying (and failing) to squash her worry for her cousin. Luckily, Nanaki seemed to notice her discomfort and paused in front of a closed door that was perhaps two rooms away from the place Yuna had woken up in.

"She's in here," he explained, tilting his head towards the door. He suddenly seemed embaressed. "Would you please open it? I...uh...am not exactly good with doors..."

Giggling somewhat despite her continued worry, Yuna nodded and turned the handle, pushing open the heavy oak to reveal...!

"YUNIE!!!" a voice that was undoubtedly Rikku cried. Almost instantly, Yuna found herself stumbling back with arms full of Rikku, who was staring up at her cousin's face with wide-eyed worry. "**Yunie**, ed fyc runnepma! E fuga ib yht drec lnaabo fusyh fru tuach'd pmehg yht ryc drec faent-ycc ryen fyc dymgehk du rancamv yht E druikrd E fyc kuehk du tea yht E teth'd ghuf frana oui yht **Paine** fana un ev oui fana ymeja un ev y **fiend** yddylgat oui un--" (1)

"Rikku, calm down--I can't speak Al Bhed _that_ well!" Yuna instantly exclaimed, trying to somehow sooth Rikku's nerves. It took a few moments for the girl to calm down, at which point in time the blonde sniffled and stared up at Yuna with thankful eyes.

"I was so worried about you!" Rikku went on to exclaim in perfect Spiran, giving her cousin a hug around the middle while burrying her face in Yuna's chest and ignoring the press of cold metal into her skin. "Don't ever leave me like that again, Yuna! Ever!"

"Okay, okay! Calm down, it's okay..." Slowly, Yuna began to rub little circles into the blonde's back, giving Red a confused look. The creature seemed just as confused, staring blankly at Rikku's head, but both were distracted when a woman with wild black hair sticking out in every direction imagionable with blue stripes appeared, her blue eyes blankly gazing at Rikku.

"She woke up when I was going over her notes," the woman explained, allowing Yuna to identify her as the person in her room when she, too, woke up--Dr. Kaku, apparently. "She 'flipped out' and began shouting things in another language. It was not one I recognized."

"Well, she appears to be speaking Gaian now," Nanaki said quietly, giving Kaku a slightly amused look as Rikku suddenly pulled away from Yuna and turned around, eyes wide when she saw the flame-tailed creature. "You may leave, Kaku. Thank you for your help."

"...Rumo **Spira**...y dymgehk **fiend**!" Rikku cried, pointing dramatically at Nanaki (2).

After a blink, Nanaki tilted his head, confused. "Er...what was that?"

However, Yuna just laughed, putting a hand on Rikku's shoulder. "No, he's not a fiend, Rikku. This is Nanaki. He's the nice...er...man...who's been taking care of us since we were found!"

"OH!" Rikku exclaimed, suddenly blinking. Her confused expression turned into a wide grin and she jumped forward, giving Nanaki a hug around the neck. "Awww, you're so cute! Thanks for being nice to us! 3"

"Ack!" grunted Nanaki, blinking rapidly as Yuna giggled somewhat at the sight. After a few moments, the dog-like creature chuckled as well, silently thankful his deep red fur hid his blush. "Of course, Miss...Rikku?"

Rikku pulled back and giggled, putting her hands to her mouth, and Nanaki had to resist the urge to wince at her green eyes. They were a bit too similar to a certain someone's, excluding that odd swirl in the middle... "Please, just Rikku!" She turned towards Yuna and grinned widely. "Ra'c cu vunsym! Ed'c gehty mega dymgehk du **Baralai**...aqlabd ra'c hud y cdilg-ib **Praetor** fru bnupypmo rydac **Al Bhed** mega ymm dra nacd uv dra vummufanc uv **Yevon**! Yht ra'c y mud lidan dryh **Baralai**, duu!"

"Rikku!" exclaimed Yuna, trying not to giggle as she waggled a finger in her friend's direction. "That's not very nice! Not everyone from Yevon is a racist...Pid E gehty yknaa." (3)

Although Yuna's accent was terrible, she got the point accross, causing Rikku to dissolve into giggles as the High Summoner smiled as innocently as she could. Nanaki, confused, merely glanced between the two for a long moment before shaking his head.

"I'll ask later," he decided, starting to pad his way down the hallway. "We must fetch your last friend, if we wish to discuss how to get you three home."

"Ah, right!" Rikku exclaimed, holding Yuna's hand and practically dragging the brunette along as she followed the red-furred creature. "Where are we, anyway?"

"The Cosmo Desert," said Yuna, giggling at Rikku's blank look. "Don't worry, Nanaki will explain it when we're all together again."

Grinning, Rikku nodded enthusiastically. "YRP, ready for action!"

Yuna nodded brightly. "Right!"

"We're at your friend's room," Nanaki interupted, giving the two behind him a confused, yet still bemused glance. Without being asked, Yuna walked around the feline-esque canine and opened the door.

"Yuna..." came Paine's weary and almost annoyed voice. Yuna, blinking as she walked into the room, gave Paine a slightly nervous smile as her friend sighed in obvious annoyance, having changed dresspheres to her Warrior attire already. To add to the effect, Paine stood up and folded her arms over her chest, eyes narrowed somewhat in annoyance.

"Good morning!" Rikku chipperly greeted, jumping into the room and giving Paine a grin. "Did ya have a nice nap?"

"Paine, don't kill her, now," Yuna joked as Paine shot Rikku a fierce glare, causing the 'R' of YRP to shuffle her feet almost nervously.

"Whatever," Paine muttered, sighing somewhat. She noticed Nanaki and gave the dog-cat a long look. "......who's your friend?"

"Oh, right!" Yuna smiled and walked into the room with Nanaki following not far behind, the door shutting behind them. "Paine, this is Nanaki. Nanaki's the one who's been taking care of us."

"A dog?"

"Actually, no," Nanaki said softly, causing Paine to arch a single eyebrow, "but you're close enough."

"Oh, did we mention he can talk?" giggled Rikku.

"No, you didn't," Paine said, rolling her eyes somewhat at the Al Bhed. She regarded Nanaki for a long moment before the tiniest of smiles appeared on her face as she bowed her head somewhat. "Paine. Nice to meet you."

"The same to you," chuckled Nanaki, bowing his head in return. He glanced curiously at Yuna and Rikku as the two moved over, Rikku plopping down on Paine's forgotten bed as Yuna sat in the chair next to it, the temporary owner of the room neglecting to sit as she took on another look of nonchallance. "Yuna has informed me already of your problem. I'm afraid you're not on this 'Spira' you speak of, but the Planet, for lack of a better name. Specifically, Cosmo Canyon."

"Cosmo?" Rikku echoed, giving Nanaki a weird look as Paine appeared annoyed and glanced towards Yuna. As the High Summoner smiled nervously, Nanaki nodded in response and sat down, his tail curling around his back legs to flick gently over his paws.

"Exactly my point. The Planet's past is not quite as complex as yours, but perhaps now would be the time for a story about our own history."

"I think that would be best," Yuna agreed quietly, purposefully ignoring Paine's continued, exhasperated look. Nanaki nodded in return.

"A long time ago, more than two thousand years before this generation was born, there were two races--the Cetra, the equivalent to humans with strong ties to the Planet and Her magic, and the Monsters, their guardians. The two races lived in peace with each other and the planet. Then, one day, a Meteor fell at the top of the Planet. What emerged from that Meteor was not mere rubble, but an alien parasite. We know it now as JENOVA..."

----

AL BHED NOTES (things in bold were not in Al Bhed to begin with):

(1)

Rikku: **Yuna**, it was horrible! I woke up and this creepy woman who doesn't blink and has this weird-ass hair was talking to herself and I thought I was going to die and I didn't know where you and **Paine** were or if you were alive or if a **fiend** attacked you or--

--

(2)

Rikku: ...Holy **Spira**...a talking **fiend**!

--

(3)

Rikku: He's so formal! It's kinda like talking to **Baralai**...except he's not a stuck-up **Praetor** who probably hates **Al Bhed** like all the rest of the followers of **Yevon**! And he's a lot cuter than **Baralai**, too!

Yuna: **Rikku! That's not very nice! Not everyone from Yevon is a racist...**But I kinda agree.


	4. Disk One, Chapter Three

Final Fantasy VII-2:  
AVALANCHE of Gullwings!

_**Disk One,  
C**_**_hapter Three_**

"You lied to me, _Frater Ifrit_," the voice that is neither male nor female says coldly as the Lifestream angrily flickers around the black-cloaked figure in the middle of the chaos. "You said that she was the last Cetra, one of the last of my closest Children, but clearly she is not. She brought another with her!"

"I appologize, _Mater Gaea_, but I did not completely lie," the male voice says softly, sounding like a wounded puppy coming to his master after doing something wrong. "I said she is possibly the true last Cetra; I can assure You that this lie was not predicted, either. When I first saw the vision of her, I did not realize she was not, and only half at that."

The Lifestream begins to pulse more quickly as the unisex voice quite nearly growls. "I expected better of you, _Frater Ifrit_--as one of my oldest children, surely you realize it is not wise to lie to me."

"Of course, _Mater_. I appologize."

After but a breath, the Lifestream seems to slow, returning to its tranquil smoothness of before. "I accept your appology. Just never do this again, _Frater_, and we will have no further problem," says the unisex voice. "Now go. Prepare the Lifestream so that it may become a source of power my misplaced Children can use. They shall need all the help they can get..."

"As You wish, _Mater Gaea_," the male voice quietly says. Slowly, the figure begins to disappear, and when he is gone, the Lifestream pulls back somewhat from where he had been standing just moments ago.

"Be safe, my poor, misplaced Children. Your role will soon become clear..."

And with that, the unisex voice becomes silent for a long, long time.

----

When Nanaki finally finished his story, YRP didn't speak for a long moment.

"So much for being not as complex," Paine mumbled finally, looking almost annoyed.

"Wow! So you guys had a whole save-the-planet-from-an-evil-creepazoid thing going on, too!" Rikku paraphrased with a wide grin, looking pointedly at Nanaki. The lion-dog chuckled lowly at her expression and nodded.

"Yes, we did," he agreed, slowly lowering himself to the ground so he was laying down instead of just sitting. His tail flicked behind him. "Except ours was not born from our people or our planet...well, the first time, at least, and never truly on purpose."

"The people of Spira have made mistakes, but with the Eternal Calm, I think we'll finally be able to learn from them," said Yuna sagely. Then, she smiled. "Besides, I don't think New Yevon will do that again."

"You never know," Paine tacked on, seeming half amused and half exhasperated. "They kept that 'awesome sphere' from the public for quite some time, even after your Calm."

Yuna fell silent as Rikku gave Paine a look, which was ignored.

"These 'spheres' you keep talking about...you say they...keep records of the past?" Nanaki asked slowly, glancing between the three before him.

"Oh, yes!" Yuna confirmed, nodding enthusiastically. She reached into her side pack and fiddled inside of it for a moment before emerging with a brightly colored sphere--the copy of the original Black Mage dressphere that Shinra had made for her Garment Grid. "See?"

Nanaki's ears perked up and the dog-lion got back to his feet, walking over and giving it a look of semi-surprise.

"It looks like a Materia...only brighter and a bit larger," he noticed, his voice showing awe his canine face did not. "Like a Summon Materia."

"Materia's that thing that lets you use Magic, right?" Rikku asked, looking intrigued. Nanaki nodded somewhat, causing Rikku to giggle. "Aw, we've never had to do that! We just use our own powers and WHAMO! Super ultra mega cooked Fiend!"

"Is that so." Nanaki seemed intrigued and took a few steps back as Yuna replaced her Dressphere. The creature then gave the humans a long look. "...perhaps I should call up the rest of AVALANCHE. Surely one of them must have information on time travel."

"No," Paine instantly objected, eyes narrowed somewhat. When her two friends turned to chide her, she held up her hand, keeping her gaze steadily on Nanaki. "That would involve explaining our situation to strangers. I understand Yuna already told you..." Yuna lowered her eyes somewhat, almost looking ashamed. "...and you seem to understand to keep your mouth shut unless it's necessary, but the fewer people who know, the better. What happens when people start asking about the future? What their grandchildren will be like, and if they die peacefully? What if we become targets because someone sees our knowledge, or at least our percieved knowledge, as a threat to their survival?"

A few moments of silence passed before Paine lowered her hand, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not saying we can't ask if someone knows something," she went on in a reasonably softer voice. "I'm just saying we should be careful about who to ask."

"I see your point," Nanaki softly agreed with a slight nod. He glanced over the three before him for a moment before nodding again. "Then I suppose you all should just keep a low profile for a while. Stay in Cosmo Canyon; learn more about the Planet and Her truth. Our people are some of the few who know almost the full story of everything about our home. In a week, we can discuss this further."

"Well, we can't just sit around the whole time," Rikku pointed out with a pout, looking bored already. "Do ya have any machina to work on?"

"Machines?" Nanaki blinked slowly before smiling his canine-feline smile. "Yes, there's a department downstairs of the Cosmo Institute that studies alternative fuel sources and the make-up of machines overall. I'll talk to them and see if they'll allow you to help."

A wide grin spread across Rikku's face and she pumped a fist into the air. "CFAAD!!!" (1)

Despite not knowing what that meant, Nanaki chuckled somewhat before turning curiously towards Yuna and Paine. "And you two?" he asked quietly. "Is there anything in particular you want to work with?"

"Something where I can help people," Yuna said with a nod. Nanaki seemed to think on that for a moment.

"You aren't afraid of blood?" Yuna shook her head and Nanaki smiled again. "Then I'll talk to the Healers and put you with them."

Yuna gave a blinding smile and stood up from the bed so she could bow. "Thank you!"

"I don't care," Paine dryly said when Nanaki turned towards her. He paused only a second before nodding.

"Then you can patrol with our few WRO troops, perhaps help them train if you want," he offered. Paine seemed to approve, since she nodded to him somewhat with her lips twitching as she threatened to smirk. Nanaki chuckled adn turned away from them. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go talk to some people so this can be arranged. I'll be back soon."

And with that, Nanaki walked out the door.

----

"Man, this place is great!" Rikku announced brightly for probably the eighteenth time in six days, throwing her arms up into the air excitedly. "I just saw a new machina today--it was totally sweet, like a prequel to the hovers we have! Apparently, we're building it for the WRO!"

"I heard about that," Yuna chuckled, removing her White Mage dressphere and replacing it with her normal Gunner one. "It certainly has excited the Medical Wing a lot. They're talking about how much it will help when transporting injured troops."

"Funny, the WRO outpost seems to think it should be used to transport supplies faster," noted Paine, standing in her normal position against the wall of the room with her arms folded and a note of amusement in her gaze.

"Well, whatever it's used for, it's still pretty awesome to build!" Rikku giggled, plopping down on her bed and bouncing a few times before settling down.

A long moment of silence passed.

"I miss Spira," Yuna said so softly it was hard to tell she had said anything at all. Her companions glanced over, both frowning in mild/severe concern, but Yuna had her head lowered so that her bangs hid her eyes from view. "I want to go back soon."

"Awww, Yunie, don't worry!" Rikku exclaimed, standing up and walking over to give her cousin a hug. She gave Paine an almost frantic look, but the warrior just seemed mildly lost as she pushed off from the wall and walked over. "We'll get home soon! We just gotta wait for Nanaki to figure out who to contact for help!"

"B-but...we don't know how long that will take..."

"Fine, then we leave." Both Yuna and Rikku's heads shot up in shock and they stared openly at Paine's single arched eyebrow. "What? If Nanaki won't get us a way to get home, we'll find one on our own. We know enough about this world to blend in, if nothing else; we can find our own way back."

"Seriously?" asked Rikku, giving Paine a weird look. Paine rolled her eyes and sighed lightly.

"Seriously."

"Yunie?" Rikku turned towards the High Summoner, who was still watching Paine with an unreadable expression. "Yunie, do you wanna go?"

"Yuna?" Paine asked slowly, not moving her eyes away from Yuna's.

"...all right, let's do it!" Yuna decided with a determined nod before smiling somewhat as Rikku pulled away. "The Gullwings can do anything, right?! Including find a way back home!"

"Yeah!" Rikku enthusiastically agreed, giggling as she held up her hand for a high five. Yuna happily oblidged before turning to Paine, who paused only a moment before smirking and giving the half-Al Bhed a high five as well. "Let's go, go, go!"

"As soon as it gets dark, we'll move," Paine agreed, nodding. "Get a lot of water and dried food--trust me, this desert's huge and we're going to need it."

"Right!" Yuna agreed with an enthusiastic nod, smiling at her friend. She raised her hand up in the middle of their mini-circle. "Let's go. Y!"

"R!" Rikku giggled, raising her hand as well.

"P!" finished Paine, holding up her hand.

"The Gullwings, on the job!" Yuna finished as they gave a three-way high five.

And as they dissolved into laughter and excited planning, they were unaware of a golden eye peeking into the room through the doorway, narrowed in thought...

It was gone by the time they turned around to prepare for their trip.

----

"All right, do we have everything?" Yuna whispered when the three stood outside of their little, temporary house, just out of the light of the Cosmo Flame that stood in the middle of the village.

"Garment Grids and dresspheres, check," Rikku agreed, using her best whispering voice--which was actually decently quiet.

"Water and dried food, check," Paine muttered with a nod.

"Gil and map, check," Yuna finished with a nod. She smiled. "Well, I think that's it! Let's go, guys!"

"Hold on," a new voice suddenly said as the three started off. They all were forced to stop, exchanging worried looks as none other than Nanaki stepped out in front of them, giving the three a long and almost annoyed look. Then, the dog-lion abruptly smiled. "You didn't think you'd leave alone, did you?"

"Huh?" Rikku blinked.

"You're not going to stop us?" asked Yuna, sounding more confused than surprised.

"No, I'm not," Nanaki clarified with a nod. Then, his smile widened a fraction. "So long as you take me with you." The Gullwings looked dumbstruck, causing Nanaki to chuckle lightly. "What, you expected me to just sit by when I heard you were going to leave?"

"We could make it fine on our own," Paine said slowly, eyes narrowed somewhat. Nanaki arched an eyebrow ridge at her, his single eye glinting knowingly.

"Oh really? And how far did you plan to get with your only way of navigating being a person who has never left the Cosmo Desert and a map that is sorely out-of-date?"

"I didn't know!" Yuna exclaimed when Paine and Rikku shot her odd looks.

"Exactly," Nanaki said with another nod. "So, I'm going with you."

For a long moment, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all looked at each other silently.

"Gullwings, huddle!" Rikku suddenly exclaimed. Quickly the three turned their backs to Nanaki and took a few steps away, making a mini-circle that was honestly more of a triangle.

"What do ya think? Should we trust 'im?" Rikku asked, frowning somewhat.

"We don't have much of a choice," Paine mumbled, annoyed. "I've heard the stories from when he was with AVALANCHE. He could take us down if he has Materia on him...and if he doesn't, he knows too much about us already."

"Besides, he'd be really helpful if we didn't know where to go," Yuna said. "If my map really _is_ out-of-date, we might end up in a crypt with a vampire or something horrible like that!"

"Ooooh, I hate vampires," Rikku complained, looking around as if expecting one to pop up out of nowhere. "They're worse than emo people!"

"Then it's decided," Paine said with a nod.

"Looks like it," Yuna agreed.

"Yup!" Rikku finished.

The three abruptly whirled around and walked back towards Nanaki, who had a slightly amused look on his face as he sat on the ground where they had left him.

"All right, you can come with," Yuna said, walking in front of the others.

"Thank you," chuckled Nanaki. However, he stopped when Yuna held up a finger and waggled it in his face.

"But! You can't leave us alone in the middle of nowhere, okay? That means you have to stay with us, at least until the next village."

Nanaki nodded, still smiling his dog-like smile. "I suppose I can agree to that."

"Then welcome to the Gullwings, Nanaki!" Rikku announced with a giggle and a smile at the canine-feline. "You're now an honorary member!"

"And I'm quite proud to be a part of such an exclusive group," Nanaki agreed, nodding again.

"Well then, let's go," Paine said, frowning at the scene despite the amusement glittering in her eyes. "We don't want to lose our nerve, do we?"

"Right!" Yuna agreed with a nod. "Lead the way, Nanaki!"

"All right," the dog-lion agreed before going her a long look. "Where do you want to go?"

This stumped the Gullwing's unspoken leader. "Ummm..."

"Some place where there isn't sand everywhere," Paine voted, sounding almost disgusted.

"Oooh, oooh! Let's go to Edge!" Rikku decided, raising her arm and waving it around. At the odd looks she recieved, the blonde gave an innocent blink. "What? That's where the WRO originated, right? So shouldn't we check their archives or whatever to see what we can find?"

"Makes sense," agreed Yuna with an absent nod.

"Then Edge it is," Nanaki said with a low chuckle. "The scenic route or the shorter one?"

"Scenic!" Rikku exclaimed, again waving her arm around. "I wanna kick as much fiend ass as I can before we get there!"

"I hear that," snorted Paine, smirking somewhat.

"North, then," Nanaki clarified, starting to walk towards the west exit of Cosmo Canyon. "Through the Nibelheim Mountains and Rocket Town. We should make it to the Northern Port within a week or two, depending on the weather and how you all fare within the mountains."

"Yay!" Rikku exclaimed, practically jumping after the creature and already striking up a conversation about the types of fiends they should expect to find closer to Edge. Yuna and Paine held back for a moment.

"Think we can trust him?" Paine asked lowly. Yuna seemed to honestly think on that for a moment before nodding. Paine nodded in return. "Then let's go."

"I just hope we don't run into those vampires we were talking about," the brunette said only half-jokingly. Paine chuckled/sighed in response.

----

AL BHED NOTES (things in bold were not in Al Bhed to begin with):

(1)

Rikku: SWEET!

--

Authoress's Starting Note: Hiya everyone! Well, thanks for reading this story; I'm happy you made it through the rather slow chapters to this point. I promise it'll pick up once we get to Nibelheim--after all, that's when...whoops, never mind. I'll shut up.

Chapter Set-up Note: Now, some of you may have noticed these chapters are split up by "Disk" and "Chapter"; the first one was Disk One, Chapter One while the second was Disk One, Chapter Two and so on. There will be at least two, maybe three Disks to this story, and each disk will have a decent number of chapters. I'm guessing maybe twenty or more for the first disk alone. So yeah, this may take a while, but so long as I keep my promise of "write one chapter a day!" to myself, it should be done before summer break is over. ...hopefully.

Update Note: For those of you who are curious, no, I'm not giving up on my other stories. I know I haven't updated them in a while, but that's because I just got a new computer to replace my old, crashed one and haven't gotten a chance to replace the files yet. Silly me. So you new readers, don't be discouraged; this story is on the new harddrive, up and raring to go!

Plot Note: No, I'm not ignoring the rest of the Final Fantasy X-2 plot. Trust me when I say the same conclusion will occur by the end as the one in X-2...well, mostly. Some things may be different, but overall it will be the same. It's just a question of when YRP can get back to X-2 with their newfound knowledge at this point...which would be Disk Two. Hehe. XD

Chapter Length Note: This chapter is the shortest one in Disk One (save the Prolog) not including these notes, I guarentee you that. So do not fret, my loyal readers; I promise to keep them nice and long when I update! Yay!

Authoress's Final Note: Ignoring how many different notes I have...can't wait to see you all next chapter! If you see something wrong with this story in any way, fell free to review and let me know! So, on that note...as they say in Al Bhed...Kuutpoa! Goodbye!

--

Revamping Note: Ummm, I decided to fix a few gramatical and spelling mistakes in these chapters, and when I did it suddenly occured to me that the updates may not be as consistant as I thought. Things have come up and I can't write _every_ day. But I promise to write as much as I can for this whenever I can! I won't let this story die! So, again, review! Kuutpoa, goodbye!


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